Rod antenna used as lever when screwing mirror housing onto vehicle



June 8, 1965 J. v. GERGELY 3,183,641

ROD ANTENNA USED AS LEVER WHEN SCREWING MIRROR HOUSING AUTO VEHICLE Filed April 4, 1962 INVENTOR.

JOHN V- GERGE LY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,188,641 ROD ANTENNA USED AS LEVER WHEN SCREW- ING MIRROR HGUSING ONTO VEHICLE John V. Gcrgely, Taylor, MiclL, assignor to Wren Products (Zorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 185,054 3 Claims. (Cl. 343-715) This invention relates to vehicle radio antenna systems, and particularly to such systems as combine an antenna with the conductive body of a vehicle accessory, such as the bracket of an automobile side-mounted mirror, or spotlight, to increase signal strength of input into radio.

An object of the invention is to provide a means of securely soldering an electrical conductor to such conductive, but otherwise non-solderable bracket.

Another object is to provide an elongated accessory mounting screw to mount a mirror or the like to a bracket, and to adapt the shank of such screw to receive an elongated antenna in such a manner as to aflord dual use of the antenna to receive radio signals, and as a lever to tighten and loosen the screw.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View in partial section of an automobile side view mirror and mounting bracket, and illustrating the antenna system.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of said construction.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary View on a larger scale on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

In these views, the letter A designates a cross-section through a panel of a vehicle body. Such body is ordinarily an automobile or truck body, and the panel would usually be metal. In the event the body were to be of a dielectric material, such as fiber glass or the like, a ground wire may be employed to perform the function otherwise performed by the metallic body in the antenna-ground circuit.

The reference character 1, designates a mirror mounted in a housing 2. The housing i provided with a spherical type mounting assembly, designed to afford adjustment of the accessory as is normally desirable in accessories of this nature. A mounting bracket has a strut 4, integral with an upwardly recessed foot or base 5, and terminating at its other end in a head 6 which may be tapered as shown.

Such head is formed with a hole 7 to admit a drilled and tapped stem 8 extending therein from the mounting assembly 3. The comparatively slender, threaded portion 9 of a screw is received in the tapped stem. A shoulder 10, formed by a shank 11 of a larger diameter than the screw, bears against an end of the head 6 so that turning of the screw may draw the housing 2 and mounting assembly tightly against the opposite end of the head.

The enlarged shank 11, is apertured transversely to the axis of rotation of the screw, to receive a whip antenna 12, which may, if desired, be formed in telescoping sections. It is preferred to insert the end of said antenna in a dielectric cup to prevent such end grounding, if it should contact the base of the bracket.

Mirror assemblies such as that above described are he Patented June 8, 1965 ice quently made of metals, which, while adequate as electrical conductors, will not retain a permanent soldered connection so important in radio circuits. Within an unsuitably short period, such connections will work loose. To resolve this disadvantage in using said assemblies as antenna boosters, a hole is drilled or otherwise provided in the strut 4 and a metal rod or wire 15 is tightly inserted therein. It has been found that frictional engagement alone is adequate to resist withdrawal of the rod.

The rod is of any material alfording a permanently soldered connection with a conductor 16 leading to a dielectric element 17. Tongue 19 penetrate an electrically insulating pad 18, to be crimped thereon and secure thereto a metallic carrier 20. Said carrier is formed with a socket 21 which partially receives a dielectric receptacle 22, which with the element 17 is carried by said carrier. The socket 21 receives a portion of said receptacle, which has its other end portion received and supported by the element 17. A plug 23 is received in the socket, and such plug is formed with a prong 24 which is received in the receptacle 22.

An antenna lead-in wire 25 is received in the plug 23 and may be connected to the prong in any suitable manner. The prong makes contact with the conductor 16 which terminates in said receptacle. The ground wire 26 makes contact with a metallic portion of the plug thus affording a ground through the carrier 20 to the vehicle body. Both lead-in wire and ground wire may be encased in a single conduit, and both connect with a radio in a manner suitable to serve their respective functions.

Screws 27 secure the bracket 4, 5, 6 to the panel of a vehicle body.

Actual use has shown that the mirror and bracket assembly will in many areas serve in itself as an adequate antenna. However, the combination with such assembly of an antenna as above described, affords a substantial increase in the strength of signal input to a radio.

What I claim is:

1. In a radio antenna system for vehicles,

(a) a rear-view mirror,

(b) a housing receiving said mirror,

(c) a bracket,

(d) means to secure said bracket upon the body of a vehicle,

(e) a dielectric element interposed between the bracket and the vehicle body,

(f) a screw releasably securing the housing to the bracket, said screw having an elongated shank extending from the bracket and said shank being formed with a hole extending transversely therethrough,

(g) an elongated antenna received in said hole, whereby said housing, bracket, and antenna jointly receive radio signals, and whereby the antenna may be used as a lever to turn the screw to release or engage the housing, and

(h) an antenna lead-in Wire having one end conductively connected to said bracket and its other end adapted for connection to a radio to conduct said radio signals thereto.

2. In a radio antenna system as set forth in claim 1,

said antenna lead-in wire being insulated and paired with (j) an insulated ground wire, said ground wire leading I from the radio to l 3yl (k) a plug, said plug receiving nd portions ofrsaid- I respective wires, and f j (l) a receptacle for said plug afiording connection of said antenna lead-in wire to the antenna system, and further affording grounding of the ground wire on the vehicle body.

and said receptacle being secured to said insulating 1 means so as to be disposed in said hollow base.

3. In a radio antenna system as" set forth in claim 2,

References Citedby'tize Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,203,986 6/40 Farwell 343713 2,946,842 7/60 Chadowski 343-713 12/60 Trudnak 343 713 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 820,162 9/59 Great Britain.

0 HERMAN KARL SAALBACH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A RADIO ANTENNA SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES, (A) A REAR-VIEW MIRROR, (B) A HOUSING RECEIVING SAID MIRROR, (C) A BRACKET, (D) MEANS TO SECURE SAID BRACKET UPON THE BODY OF A VEHICLE, (E) A DIELECTRIC ELEMENT INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND THE VEHICLE BODY, (F) A SCREW RELEASABLY SECURING THE HOUSING TO THE BRACKET, SAID SCREW HAVING AN ELONGATED SHANK EXTENDING FROM THE BRACKET AND SAID SHANK BEING FORMED WITH A HOLE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH, (G) AN ELONGATED ANTENNA RECEIVED IN SAID HOLE, WHEREBY SAID HOUSING, BRACKET, AND ANTENNA JOINTLY RECEIVE RADIO SIGNALS, AND WHEREBY THE ANTENNA MAY BE USED AS A LEVER TO TURN THE SCREW TO RELEASE OR ENGAGE THE HOUSING, AND (H) AN ANTENNA LEAD-IN WIRE HAVING ONE END CONDUCTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET AND ITS OTHER END ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A RADIO TO CONDUCT SAID RADIO SIGNALS THERETO. 